Jig box for holding a switch box to a wall stud

ABSTRACT

A tool device for gripping and holding a switch box to wall studding. This device consists primarily of a spring clamp member, the ends of which engages the interior of the box to be mounted to the stud. The device carries adjustable sliding plates so as to guage the depth of the box so that it is flush with the finished wall.

United States Patent 11 1 1111 3,751,026 Stickney Aug. 7, 1973 [54] JIG BOX FOR HOLDING A SWITCH BOX T0 3,154,304 10/1964 Crawford 269/97 X A WALL STUD lltley et al,... 269/325,:

, Ste Inventor! Harold Stickney, 2108 3,617,044 11 1971 Stra ge 269/6 Garden City, Kans. 67846 [22] Filed; D 7, 1971 Primary Examiner-Granville Y. Custer, Jr. 1] A I o 2 5 51 Attorney-Harold S. Stickney 57 ABSTRACT [52] U.S. Cl 269/97, 269/321 S l 51 lm. c1. 823g 3/00 A devlce for gnPPmg and holdmg sw'tch box [58] Field of Search 269/6 47 97 321 s wall Swdding This Consists Primarily Spring 1 clamp member, the ends of which engages the interior [56] References Cited of the box to be mounted to the stud. The device carries adjustable sliding plates so as to guage the depth 2 693 160 E J PATENTS 269/97 X of the box so that it is flush with the finished wall.

aut ier 2,956,798 10/1960 Briggs 1. 269/321 S 1 Claim, 2 Drawing Figures Z Inn's 1 1!!!! 1 Z 22 A9 A? 25 i: IHW //,I 4 7-.

/' i \=-"5' I I,

W I, 1 w WWI M w' /3- 1 I W I ll(; BOX FOR HOLDING A SWITCH BOX TO A WALL STUD This invention relates to jigs, and more particularly to a jig device for positioning a switch box on a wall stud.

It is therefore the primary purpose of this invention to provide a jig device which has spring clamp means for engaging a switch box so that the elevation may be properly set and the depth may be properly guaged so that the box will be flush with the wall.

Another object of this invention is to provide a jig device of the type described which will have spring tension means and adjustment screw means in order that the depth may be set by means of sliding plates there on the clamp member of the device.

A further object of this invention is to provide a jig device which will also enable the electrical worker to set the height of the box properly by elevatable rod means carried within a sleeve through the clamp member of the device and the device enables the electrical worker to nail the switch box in correct position with a minimum of effort.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide a jig box for holding a switch box to a wall stud which is simple in design, inexpensive to manufacture, rugged in construction, easy to use and efficient in operation.

These and other objects will be readily evident upon a study of the following specification and the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is aside view of the present invention shown in elevation and partly brokenaway; and

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of FIG. 1 showing the device in use.

According to this invention, a jig device is shown to include a spring clamp 11 having finger grip levers 12 pivotably secured together about a sleeve 13.

An elevation adjustment rod 14 is slideably carried within sleeve 13 and is set at a predetermined height by the user with a set screw 15. On the side of each of the levers 12 is fixedly secured a lug 16 which threadibly carries a bolt fastener 17, the ends of the bolt fastener 17 being rotatably secured within lugs 18 of a pair of slideable plates 19.

Slideable plates 19 are provided with a side flange 20 for channel-like engagement with the sides of lever 12. A bolt 21 which is carried within the ends of spring 21 provides a means of adjustment for the depth of placement of a switch box and bolts 21 are freely and slideably carried within elongated slots 22 of slideable plates 19. The tapered ends 27 provide a means of engaging the interior of switch box 26 so that it may be held by spring 21' tension to the side faces 24 of a stud 25.

It will be noted that levers 12 are provided with an extending lip portion 23 which grippingly engaged the side faces 24 of stud 25 in order to properly position switch box 26 thereto, the device 10 serving to hold switch box 26 at the correct elevation and depth so that the box 26 will be flush with the wall placed thereupon the stud 25.

In use, the bolt fastener 17 are adjusted for the correct depth of the switch box 26 placement upon the stud 25 and the user grips the levers 12 which will urge the opposite ends apart so that the box 26 may be en gaged with the tapered ends 27.

The device 10 is then placed with the proper elevation setting by means of screw 15 on elevation adjustment rod 14 and when the spring pressure is released by relaxing the hold upon the levers 12, the lips 23 will frictionally and springingly engage the side faces 24 of the stud 25 thus rendering the switch box 26 stationary for instant nailing to stud 25.

It will also be noted that the bolt fasteners 17 are adjusted so as to urge the slideable plates 19 towards or away from the wall 25, the purpose being to enable an end 27 of one of the plates 19 to enter the box 26 and resiliently retain the box 26 on a lever 12, the flanges 20 of plates 19 serve as stop means against the edges at the opening of the box so as to position the box relative to the ends of the levers 12 that abutt against the stud 25.

A spring 21' serves as tension means to urge lip portion 23 of levers 12 against the side faces 24 of stud 25. The lip portions 23 are disengaged from the stud 25 by the user gripping the opposite ends of levers l2 and forcing them towards each other.

What I claim is:

1. A jig device for positioning and holding a switch box to a wall stud, comprising a clamp, a pair of pivot-. able levers carried by said jig device, providing gripping means for a wall stud that a switch box is to be installed to, a pair of slideable plates carried by saidlevers with adjustable bolt fasteners for mounting said switch box at the proper depth so as to enable said switch box to be positioned flush with the wall, a spring carried between said. levers so as to enable said levers to forcibly.

grip said stud, said slideable plates of said jig being adjustable by a bolt fastener carried threadably in a lug extending from said slideable plates, said bolt fasteners being freely carried by a lug extending from said levers, said slideable plates having side flanges providing guide means for said slideable plates on the parallel edges of said levers, said side flanges also serving as stop means for one of the open-end edges of said switch box, said plates carrying each a bolt slideable in a slot of said plate, said bolts being carried one in each end of said spring so as to retain said spring of said device between said levers, said levers being carried on a sleeve member secured between the pivot portions of said levers, said sleeve slideably receiving a rod which enables said clamp portion of said jig device to be raised and lowered from the floor, one end of said rod being placed in abuttment with the floor so as to support the clamp structure, and said clamp portion of said jig is secured in any desired elevation by means of a set screw carried by said sleeve when said screw encroaches on the outer periphery of said rod, a portion of said levers having said lug carried bolt fastener serving as finger gripping means for applying manual pressure by the user so as to pivot said clamp portion of said jig open in order that the opposite ends may receive said stud, one of said plates holding said switch box in place on a side face of said stud in order that the user may fasten said switch box to said stud by suitable fasteners. 

1. A jig device for positioning and holding a switch box to a wall stud, comprising a clamp, a pair of pivotable levers carried by said jig device providing gripping means for a wall stud that a switch box is to be installed to, a pair of slideable plates carried by said levers with adjustable bolt fasteners for mounting said switch box at the proper depth so as to enable said switch box to be positioned flush with the wall, a spring carried between said levers so as to enable said levers to forcibly grip said stud, said slideable plates of said jig being adjustable by a bolt fastener carried threadably in a lug extending from said slideable plates, said bolt fasteners being freely carried by a lug extending from said levers, said slideable plates having side flanges providing guide means for said slideable plates on the parallel edges of said levers, said side flanges also serving as stop means for one of the open-end edges of said switch box, said plates carrying each a bolt slideable in a slot of said plate, said bolts being carried one in each end of said spring so as to retain said spring of said device between said levers, said levers being carried on a sleeve member secured between the pivot portions of said levers, said sleeve slideably receiving a rod which enables said clamp portion of said jig device to be raised and lowered from the floor, one end of said rod being placed in abuttment with the floor so as to support the clamp structure, and said clamp portion of said jig is secured in any desired elevation by means of a set screw carried by said sleeve when said screw encroaches on the outer periphery of said rod, a portion of said levers having said lug carried bolt fastener serving as finger gripping means for applying manual pressure by the user so as to pivot said clamp portion of said jig open in order that the opposite ends may receive said stud, one of said plates holding said switch box in place on a side face of said stud in order that the user may fasten said switch box to said stud by suitable fasteners. 